Stepping Stones Nursery School

Stepping Stones Nursery School Granchester House, 5 Hinchley Way, Esher, KT10 0BD

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 11 July 2016 Not applicable

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This inspection: Outstanding 1

Effectiveness of the leadership and management Outstanding 1

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This inspection: Outstanding 1

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Outstanding 1

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This inspection: Outstanding 1

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding 1

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This provision is outstanding

 The leadership and management of the nursery are inspirational. Leaders support staff in providing exceptionally high-quality care for children, ensuring staff are well qualified and demonstrate consistently strong teaching skills. They use highly responsive self- evaluation to help secure continual improvement.  Children's behaviour is exemplary and they are extremely polite and kind to the staff and each other. Staff are extremely dedicated to consistently promoting children's respect of each other's similarities and differences, their confidence and awareness of diversity.  Staff form excellent partnerships with parents. Regular information sharing helps to ensure that parents are entirely involved in their children's learning. Parents speak highly of the leaders and staff, including the excellent support that their children receive and the progress they make. Partnerships with other professionals are equally

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This provision is outstanding

exceptionally strong.  Staff plan excellent activities, whether tailored to individuals or groups of children. Staff make accurate and regular assessments of children's progress, which are used to inform planning and provide rich, varied and imaginative experiences. Children make consistently high rates of progress. They are very well prepared for their future learning and for the move to school.

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

To further improve the quality of the early years provision the provider should:

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

 strengthen the already excellent monitoring processes to identify groups of children's progress even further.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed activities in the indoor and outdoor play areas.  The inspection took the views of parents into consideration.  The inspector talked with staff, children and the management team at appropriate times throughout the inspection.  The inspector looked at children's assessment records and planning documentation, and checked evidence of suitability and qualifications of staff, the provider's self- evaluation form and improvement plans.  The inspector carried out a joint observation of an activity with the provider.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is outstanding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. All staff have an excellent understanding of safeguarding issues and are extremely alert to any changes in children's welfare. Systems for monitoring staff performance are robust. Staff attend regular training to meet the needs of specific children and to help them achieve very high-quality teaching practice and excellent outcomes for all children. Staff and managers work together to monitor individual children's progress, although they do not track groups of children as precisely. Staff are excellent at identifying any children who may require additional support and they work swiftly to obtain support from other professionals.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is outstanding

Children enjoy an excellent balance of independent play and adult-led activities that greatly benefit their learning. Staff plan focused activities to support children's emerging reading and writing skills, with outstanding results. These include enjoyable phonics sessions and pencil-control activities where children write postcards to family and friends as part of their topic about holidays. Many older children competently write their name and use their understanding of letter sounds to read and write words and short sentences. Younger children thoroughly enjoy practising their mathematical skills. For example, they fill different sized containers with water and use words such as 'enough', 'full', 'half' and 'heavy'. Children of all ages use wonderful imaginative skills as they pretend play. Staff provide excellent opportunities for children to extend their learning. For example, they go to the local allotment and enjoy exciting outdoor activities.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are outstanding

Children are exceptionally confident, happy and emotionally secure. Staff form nurturing and caring relationships with children and promote their sense of achievement and ability extremely well. For example, they provide excellent encouragement so that children persevere with tasks. Staff are skilled at teaching children about the wider world and to respect diversity. For example, they spend time in the local community and celebrate world events and festivals. Staff provide children with many experiences to develop their physical skills outdoors. They use a range of tools to explore their digging and planting area and learn how to manage risks, keep healthy and use equipment safely.

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Outcomes for children are outstanding

Children make sustained and significant progress in their learning and have high levels of emotional well-being. They become extremely capable and independent learners, who lead their own play and think for themselves extremely well. Special group times, such as 'fizzy fingers' and 'talk time', enable children to focus closely on developing their physical skills and communication.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY475647 Local authority Surrey Inspection number 968927 Type of provision Sessional provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Registers Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register, Voluntary Childcare Register Age range of children 2 - 5 Total number of places 65 Number of children on roll 99 Name of registered person Alison Jane Sellers

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reference number

Date of previous inspection Not applicable Telephone number 0208 398 1955

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reference number

Stepping Stones Nursery School at Granchester House in Esher, Surrey, registered in 2014. The nursery is open on Monday to Thursday from 8.30am to 3.45pm, and from 8.30am to 12.30pm on Friday, during term time only. The provider employs 17 members of staff, 11 of whom hold appropriate qualifications. Three staff hold qualified teacher status. The nursery receives funding to provide free early years education for children aged two, three and four years.

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reference number

This inspection was carried out by Ofsted under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 on the quality and standards of provision that is registered on the Early Years Register. The registered person must ensure that this provision complies with the statutory framework for children’s learning, development and care, known as the early years foundation stage.

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reference number

procedures set out in the guidance ‘Complaints procedure: raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted. If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk. achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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reference number

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reference number

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reference number

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